I love painting amongst the Sunflowers!  The opportunity to plein aire paint amongst these magnificent plants is wonderful!

I tried to capture the 'atmosphere' of this amazing location.  I looked for colours, shapes and textures.  I wanted to remember the feelings invoked on this day.

I love the way in which the sunflower heads follow the sun.

The Sunflower Swing

Mixed Media on paper

10" x 10 "

            Sunflower Song.                                           

            Mixed Media on Paper.                                  

            6" x 6".        
  

                Dancing with the Sunflowers

                Mixed Media on Paper

                6" x 6"

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• Thinking Sunflowers.                                      
•  mixed Media on Paper.                                  
•  6" x 6".                                                           
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•  
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•  With the Sunflowers                         
•  Mixed media on Paper
•  6.5" x 4.5"

This last painting was inspired by one of my favourite abstract painters, Joan Mitchell.  She painted without fear!  Joan Mitchell's abstracts are compositions of colour, strokes, marks and spaces.  Her work always inspires me!

         Sunflowers in Golden Light

         Mixed Media on Panel

         20" x 16"

Early June I was painting in a field of lupines at the top of a mountain in Nakusp, BC.  I was an artist's dream spot! I was  painting with my Troupe, The Shuswap Plein Air Troupe.  

 

We had a glorious day plein air painting.  Our lupine plein air paintings will be included in our up coming art show at  Studio Connexion Gallery in Nakusp, BC.  Nakusp is  wonderful destination village!

I'd like to introduce my painter pal friends.  We go out and about to plein air paint in the surrounding Salmon Arm areas.  Here are you can join us on Instagram to see recent adventures.

What ever events come your way in 2026, remember to Bee There. Enjoy, experience, and hold on to each moment to share with your family, friends and community!

 Here’s a reel I created to share with you to welcome 2026.  It’s an Instagram Reel.

The two hardest things I’ve learned about creating acrylic skin transfers is Patience and rubbing as gently as if you were rubbing a butterfly’s wing!  As you work thru the process keep chanting this to yourself!!

Step 1 

Unless you have copyright permission I would suggest you only use your own photos.  I like to use my own paintings as my photo material. So, take a picture of what you want to use for an acrylic skin transfer.  I used this oil painting I had done of a Monarch Butterfly in my garden.  I wanted a butterfly to transfer into a couple of abstract acrylic floral  paintings of my garden.  I edited the photo in Photoshop until I had the size and colours I wanted. Then I printed the photo out onto 8 by 11 paper on my colour ink jet printer.  I use an ink jet printer because then the colours are not heat set and can be lifted by the acrylic medium more readily. 

Step 2
This is important.  Be patient and let your new printout dry for 24 hours!

Step 3

Lay your printout onto a folded layer of freezer paper or  I like to lay my printouts on to a glass plate. You need to lay it onto a nonstick surface. Next you need to use artist tape to adhere your printouts to the glass plate.  When taping the image down give an ample distance between the image edges and tape.  Don’t trim the image too close.  When peeling off the tape there might be some tearing, so ensure the tape is applied to the paper border around the image.

Gac 800 by golden is great for skins.  
Now you get to paint on your medium.  I suggest at least 3 to 5 coats.  Let the medium dry between each coat.  You paint the medium onto the front side of your print out. First layer paint all in one direction. Let dry. Second coat. Paint all in opposite direction. Let dry.  Third coat paint all in original direction.  Let dry. Repeat up to 5 times.  Then let dry 24 hours.  PATIENCE

Step 4
Gently peel off the tape.  Then very gently blend a little bit of water on to the front of your transfer till the image looks translucent. About 2 minutes.  Next, turn the transfer over so it is paper side facing you.  Add enough water to cover the whole transfer.  I do this in a cookie sheet. Wait 5 minutes. Now the real work begins.  Remember those butterfly wings?  Starting in a corner, in very gentle circular rubbing motions begin rubbing off the paper.  Be gentle!  This is very slow work.  Too hard you will tear the transfer.  If you do tear don’t panic just don’t loose the segment.  Gently rinse away your rubbings.  The transfer probably doesn’t need to be submerged in water any longer but it still needs to be wet to ensure the rubbed paper comes off.

Step 5. 
This could happen!   Did I say Patience!  Well I don’t have it! I should have left it to dry for a Week!  Unfortunately, it looked and felt dry but wasn’t!  While in the wet process of rubbing, most of the inks rubbed off!  This happens if the inks are not dried into the medium!   Grrrrrrr

Step 6
When your finished acrylic transfer is completely rubbed off of paper, gently lay it flat.  When it is dry glue it down onto your painting surface.  I use acrylic matt medium gel for the gluing down.

Monarch On the Buddleia   

10 by 10

Mixed Media on Canvas

Monarch in the coneflowers 

10 by 10

Mixed Media on Canvas

Mark your calendars to ensure you get the opportunity to visit this beautiful garden!  Art in the Garden takes place at Lily Pad Ranch  in Grinrod,BC

My Painter Pal and I have been fortunate to have painted at the ranch before the event.  We are amazed by the beautiful, amazing gardens that the owners have created!  So many inspiring areas and things to admire and paint. 

     o

Our hosts were super friendly and inviting.  You could tell their gardens were truley works of love! 

We will bring our Plein aire paintings to the Art In the Garden Event.

We will also be plein aire painting at the event.  We love to chat about our art. Come and visit and watch us paint.

Painting by the small pond.  The greens were extraordinary and challenging to capture.

But so worth the efforts!

We hope to see you there!

I was invited to plein aire paint in Krystyna’s Garden near Armstrong, BC. 

Even the rain didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for enjoying our time at this beautiful location.

We had views of distant farmlands, barns, horses, skyscapes and flowers to challenge us.

you can join our painting morning by clicking on the flowers.

I took myself off to McGuire Lake in Salmon Arm to paint the water lilies.  Late June is the best time to capture these aquatic gems!  If you get there around 9:00 am to set up you see the green carpet of the lily pads.  

By the time I was set up the lilies were beginning to open.

 For the next few hours I worked at capturing the colours and of the ever changing lilies.

    L

I enjoyed my plein aire painting time. Because these are just 'studies' I am thinking about painting a larger painting,  Maybe around three feet by four feet.  i want to try some new paints that have the properties of acrylic but no plastics and are made in Canada.  I will paint on paper.  Stay posted!

Early in June I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a Plein Aire Event in Ashcroft, BC.  We traveled in our coach and spent 5 days exploring the area.  
      

I had the ability of getting about because we tow a small red Fiat.  It was packed full of art stuff and always ready for adventures.

The skyscapes and the landscapes challenged me to paint quickly and to try to capture the ever changing colours as the light changed.

I was painting fast, in layers, mark making and using large brush work.  My paint palette dried quickly so I had to work only one or two colours at a time.  The end results were gestural and abstracted.

    I loved the sage greens and the interplay of shadows.

  It was hot and dry and the light kept changing!

The event ended with a show and sale.

I was asked if I would leave my paintings for their fundraising Raising the Roof Show and Sale in July.  Of course I said yes!  I am already looking forward to this Plein Aire event next year in the village of Ashcroft.

  Click on the  logo to visit the Ashcroft Hub.

Last night was the opening of our show called, “Where Conversations Are Shared” at the Atelier Gallery in Salmon Arm, BC.

We had a successful opening and a lot of conversations!  The room was filled with the talk of art between friends and new acquaintances.  Our hanging crew is to be commended for their hard work making the presentation of all the artwork so successful.

It was a fun, artful evening!